People have been recording seismic activity for centuries. To assemble a detailed earthquake history of an area and understand how faults may behave in the future, however, scientists need to go further back in time—from several hundred to many thousands of years ago.
Paleoseismology is the study of earthquakes that pre-date modern instrumentation. For example, the 1700 Cascadia earthquake occurred before seismometers existed to measure it; the timing and magnitude was inferred from historical evidence such as sunken coastlines, salt-killed forests and written records of an "orphan tsunami" that reached Japan. Paleoseismology incorporates such evidence to help scientists understand the likelihood and risks of future earthquakes.
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Societal Issue: Uncertainty related to rupture extent, slip distribution, and recurrence of past subduction megathrust earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest (northern CA, OR, WA, and southern BC) leads to ambiguity in earthquake and tsunami hazard assessments and hinders our ability to prepare for future events.Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record
Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.ByNatural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis Laboratory - News